Tony Marsh

Perforated Vessel, 2007

Earthenware

Dims: 19 x 8 x 8”

Tony Marsh earned a B.F.A. from California State University, Long Beach, in 1978 and a M.F.A. from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 1988. Early in his artistic career, he traveled to Mashiko, Japan, to study at Shimaoka Pottery with Tatsuo Shimaoka, who was named a Living National Treasure by the Japanese government. There, Marsh developed a deep respect for potters, and was influenced by the traditional culture of the community. He uses ceramics as a form of creative expression. Respecting the fundamental uses of pottery – holding, storing, preserving, commemorating, and beautifying – Marsh creates pieces that explore and allude to the human experience. His works are at once minimal and mysterious, spare and sensuous. His work is included in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He currently teaches as part of the faculty at CSU Long Beach, where he is also the chair of the ceramics department.